Welcome back, Leaving a skilled nursing facility for in-home care saved Helen’s life When Lisa and Mark Piegza moved to the Lowcountry from New Jersey to begin a new venture, they envisioned Mark’s parents would also make the move someday, as his mom, now 84, has shown a slow cognitive decline over the last ten years. Four years ago, Mark’s mom, Helen, fell and fractured her hip. The surgery and recovery from the fall significantly exacerbated the decline in her memory. Life was becoming more challenging for Mark’s mom and dad, who were too far away for him to provide hands-on help or care. No one in the family was ready for what took place last spring. Helen fell again and fractured her other hip. Complications led to three surgeries within five weeks, causing her dementia to accelerate faster than the family could have imagined. Above: Helen and her son, Mark. Below: Helen and her caregiver, Vanessa.
In August, at Lisa’s insistence, Mark’s parents moved from New Jersey to Hilton Head. Helen moved into a memory care facility and his dad, Ed, moved into a nearby independent living community. This was the first time Ed and Helen had been apart in 57 years of marriage. Ed was able to visit her often, but her physical and cognitive decline weighed heavily on everyone. After a couple of months, Helen had to move into a skilled nursing facility because she never fully recovered from the infection that stemmed from the hip surgeries the previous year. She was on multiple medications, mostly anti-anxiety and antidepressants. She seemed as though she were drugged. Her wounds simply wouldn’t heal and her health continued to decline. Mark and Lisa witnessed her health slipping significantly. She wasn’t the person she used to be. Mark’s dad was scared. Helen had bouts of crying, she wasn’t talking, and when she tried, it was nonsensical. She hardly ate. The family was beyond concerned.
“She was alone, in a strange place, confused and her decline accelerated.” 6
